Say It Isn't So!
by Horosha no Kage
Summary: Thrusted into a dating show by friends, both Hinata and Naruto have to spend one month together...alone. Will they be able to come out of their shells? And if they could, will they obtain love and acceptance, or fail? naruxhina
1. 00

Disclaimer: Tch, yeah… I WISH created Naruto.

A/N: Eh, yeah…so this is my first Naruto fanfic, a suicidal attempt. Just to set the record, this tale's going to be: A) Alternate Universe and B) It shall revolve around Naruto and Hinata unless reviewers wished otherwise.

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Say It Isn't So!

Prologue

It was a simple setting for the girls as they talked amongst their selves, drinks and pastries half-way finished on the tabletop. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were sitting at a booth that hugged the farthest corner of the café. _Cherry's_ _Café and Treats_ was a favorite spot for them to meet, especially when it came to going over gossip, or more importantly…to go over matchmaking businesses.

"I say it's time," Sakura Haruno exclaimed, an impish smile set on her face. Sakura's green eyes crinkled at the sides as she leaned over slightly, a hand going by the side of her mouth as she lowered her voice. "It's definitely time…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ino Yamanaka hissed out, curiosity and annoyance apparent on her face. With a flick of her hand, she swept her ponytail over a shoulder before she huffed. "I was just getting into the juicy part when--!"

"Oh please, we have enough of your escapades," Sakura retorted. "Anyway, what I mean to say is…it's time for the plan."

"The plan?" Tenten echoed, confusion blooming on her face. She reached out for her cup of tea, urging Sakura to continue with a look.

"Yes, **The Plan**. Remember? What we promised ourselves months ago?" The pink-haired woman asked, holding her face with a hand as she sighed. "Am I the only one who remembers?"

"I don't know, maybe if you'd _elaborate_," Ino snapped. She got her own cup of tea, taking a long sip as she narrowed her eyes at Sakura. "Well?!"

"Shh, shh! Geez, Ino-Pig… I thought you'd have more patience after becoming a woman. Huh, but I guess some of us still take long to grow…"

"As opposed to your forehead. It was HUGE…oh, wait… It still is." Ino smiled sweetly. Electricity flashed between the two girls, and before they could duke it out, Tenten lightly tapped her fork against her cup, frowning.

"Ladies? The Plan…? I believe we were talking about this so-called Plan?" Leaning back in her chair, Tenten watched as the young women around her relaxed. "There we go…"

"Ha, you're right! No distractions; the plan was to get the caged bird free… Remember now?" Sakura paused, her arms crossed on the table as she waited for their response. Ino cocked her head to the side, a finger tapping against her mouth as Tenten gave a blank look at Sakura. A second passed…and Sakura grabbed her head, a look of pure horror etched on her face. A pair of nerves began to throb painfully at her temple, and it took all of Sakura's control to refrain herself from throwing the table over. That is, until Ino gasped.

"Oooh, I know! It's…" Ino grinned, giving the thumbs up at Sakura. Sakura's eyes turned bright as she clasped her hands over her chest. Yes, surely Ino remembers! "It's…to get Hinata drunk and get loose, ne? NE?" Ino gave the v-sign, confidence oozing at every pore. What she didn't notice was Sakura's face darkening and the eerie silence that crept in.

"DAMMIT, NO! **THE PLAN **WAS TO HOOK HINATA UP WITH SOME GUY!" Sakura yelled at the top of her lungs. Plates clinked, a couple of forks dropped throughout the establishment as other customers turned in their seats to stare at Sakura. A waitress walked over to the girls' booth then, and bowing at the waist, she whispered.

"Er, miss…could you keep it down?"

"Hai, sorry…sorry…" Sakura mumbled, face red. As the waitress pivoted about and went on serving other customers, Sakura buried her face into her hands as she groaned. Ino, for her part, blinked a couple of times before she busted out laughing, an arm around her stomach as she pointed.

"Oh GOD! THAT WAS SO PRICELESS! YOUR FACE!"

"Now now…" Tenten shook her head at Ino, repressing a groan of her own. "Sorry about that Sakura, but as you were saying?"

Tenten placed some emphasis on the last three words of her question, and she went back to enjoy her tea as Sakura finally brought her head back up.

"I was saying that we planned to find a guy for Hinata." Sakura muttered under her breath as she smoothed her short hair.

"Ah…" Ino trailed off. "AH, THAT'S RIGHT!" Smacking a hand to her forehead, Ino leaned closer, Tenten following suit forming their own huddle. "So…how will we do that? I mean, this is Hinata we're talking about," Ino stated with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Try to take her to the club, and she'll just stay at the table, drinking a 'safe' drink. Dancing, she won't do…and remember the whole blind-date bit?"

"Oh yeah…" Tenten winced slightly, remembering how Hinata wouldn't budge from her apartment. "The poor guy; he waited outside her door the entire night, and she still wouldn't get out."

"Yep. Then again, he ended up being a player, so all's well, I guess," Ino stated. "Hold on, check out Sakura…" Tenten did as she was told only to meet up with Sakura's face in shadows. At first, both Ino and Tenten couldn't hear it, but then Sakura's chuckles become more…pronounced.

"Hehheh…heh…but this time is different, behold!" Sakura cried out, her purse on the table. Doing a quick search through it, Sakura fished out a card and held it out to her friends.

"You can't be serious," Ino mumbled, an eyebrow raised. "You can't…"

"If she wouldn't get out on a blind date, how much more for _that_?" Tenten inquired, skeptical.

Sakura merely grinned as she gave them a wink.

"She has no choice BUT to go with it," she stated. "It's all fixed up."

"WHAT?!" The two yelled before they turned in their seats. The owner of the café gave them the evil eye before she went into the kitchen, and the girls sunk in their seats, their tones lowered. "What?!" the duo repeated.

"I said it's fixed up," Sakura answered. "I called them, and they checked her profile; all systems green, hee. Brilliant, yes?" Sakura beamed while she congratulated herself in her mind.

"Brilliant? Do you know how she's going to react to this?!" Ino hissed. "She's going to hate us for this! No, wait--YOU! IT'S YOUR DOING!"

"Oh no it isn't, right Tenten?" Ice-blue and green eyes swung over to Tenten, and she kept silent until she nodded.

"Et tu, Tenten?!" Ino cried out in dismay.

"No, Sakura is right. Remember? We agreed that we'd let Sakura figure out something, and we're going to follow through with this…" _It just might work_, Tenten thought to herself.

Sakura gave another smile as she stuck her tongue out at Ino. "Well Ino? In or out?" Sakura had her hand out over the table, and Tenten already had a palm over it. The two gave expectant looks at Yamanaka, and Ino relented.

"Ugh, whatever. You guys win."

"Yay! All for Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"Ah, what the hell? If this doesn't work, we'll TIE her up! All for Hinata!" Ino gave out. Even though the chances of Hinata going after them were high, Ino blew it away. _This if for her own good_.

"For Hinata," Tenten said with ease as she grinned.

"And so the plan's set! Whoo!" Sakura pumped a fist into the air, and the trio decided that now was a time to leave. Before they paid the bill, Sakura took one last look at the card she held and grinned. The small, white piece of paper stared back at her, crimson words printed:

"**One on One" **

The Reality Dating Show

TBC…(?)

A/N: Oh yeah, I bet everyone's lost on the girls. Well, they're adults now, perhaps their early 20's or so.


	2. 01

A/N: Just had to say it: Wow… I didn't think I'd get ANY reviews for this fic. I give my thanks to those who did--arigato. Also, upon **lopka's** observation, I'll say this: it's truly an Alternate Universe for the Naruto cast, so there's no ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu. If my knowledge of Naruto was truly thorough, I would've kept to the original idea. Ah well. As for the setting of this story…I'll keep it anonymous (this author is currently lazy to go into that). You're welcome to use your imagination, though. :P

Chapter 1

As usual, the sharp cries of her alarm clock would alert her to reality, and she'd awaken, a finger out on the "Off" button. Hinata Hyuuga then got herself up on her elbows. Her short, dark hair was tousled as her lavender-pearl eyes blinked in the darkness. Without another word, she'd climb out of bed and make way towards the bathroom in her night shift, a pair of slippers pulling the look together. After showering, and dressing up in only jeans and a large sweatshirt, Hinata would face her next task.

Breakfast.

"Hn, what to eat, what to eat…" Hinata murmured to herself as she arrived at her kitchenette.

Opening the cabinets, she frowned slightly, knowing right off the bat that she was not in the mood for Lucky Charms. Instead, she went to her refrigerator and took out the pack of eggs. Fried eggs and toast would be good. Going to the stove, Hinata got out two eggs from the pack as she reached into the shelf above her head.

"Perhaps I should…rearrange the pans," Hinata muttered as she resorted to balancing on the balls of her feet. "What if…"

Imagination took over, and Hinata imagined a scenario when a pan would mysteriously fall onto her head…

_No, now I'm being silly_. Silently, Hinata chided herself and she smiled as she shook her head. Once she found a pan, Hinata cheered to herself and began to work. Well, she tried to work until a knock was heard on her door. Glancing at a wall clock, Hinata rose a brow.

"Someone visiting me at 7:30 in the morning? I wonder…"

Placing the eggs on a countertop, she went to the door. As she went, time slowed down; en egg rolled off the counter, and right when Hinata answered the door, the egg crashed onto the floor just when she shrieked.

"CONGRATULATIONS, HINATA HYUUGA!" A masculine voice said.

"Eh?" Hinata breathed as she stumbled back before falling onto her rump. The door swung open to reveal a young man with wild, silver hair and dark eyes grinning down at her.

For a moment, Hinata's mind froze, small bits of information passing through her head. Then, with a quick shake of her head, Hinata began to stand, only to fall back once more when the man advanced. As he did so, Hinata could see a number of others at her door…

"What…? What's going--" Before Hinata could finish, the man dug into his pocket and took out a card.

"This is going on," he stated.

"Buh?" Hinata's eyes widened as she began to shiver slightly. One on One?

"You mean…?"

"That's right! Kakashi Hatake at your service, host of **One on One**! With that said, pack your bags, Miss Hinata, because we're off!" Kakashi grinned. Once again, he dug into his pocket and took out a cellular phone.

"Hey Iruka, the place is set up, right?" Hearing an affirmative, Kakashi gave a thumbs up at no one in particular. "All right, then it's clear sailing from now on, heh."

Hinata, still numb with confusion was still on her rear end, making Kakashi look at her concern.

"Need some assistance?" He asked. Without waiting for an answer, Kakashi rose a hand up and cried over his shoulder. "ASSISTANCE!" The people, who have been silent throughout the whole exchange, went into a frenzy. A couple of women stormed pass Hinata, going straight for her bedroom while two bulky men appeared at Hinata's side. Dumbfounded, Hinata could only give out a squeak as she felt bulging arms slip under her armpits, lifting her up onto her feet.

"Th-thank you…"

The two men didn't answer, but simply went out the door, arms crossed over their massive chests. After a few moments of thinking (with a finger at her lip), Hinata decided to take action, and fast. Remembering her room being trespassed, she whirled around.

"Oh no! WAIT!" Dashing into her bedroom, Hinata found her closet ransacked, her drawers opened, and her clothes being carried off to her bed. Soon, piles of different clothing were folded neatly, and finding a couple of her traveling bags, the women went to packing.

"Wait, you don't have to," Hinata tried, approaching them. She reached out a hand to stop them, but Kakashi manifested behind her and dragged her away.

"Now now, they know what to do…"

"But--!"

"Hm…"

Both Kakashi and Hinata suddenly stopped, the two facing each other, staring. Without warning, Kakashi leaned in, a hand rubbing his chin as he went on to look her up and down, causing the young woman to blush.

"W-what do you th-think you're doing?" Hinata asked nervously.

Kakashi didn't answer. Instead, he shrugged and snapped his fingers, attracting two other women to join the fray.

"What do you think?" Kakashi asked, looking at one.

Hinata became more distressed as she looked at the newcomers. One woman was loaded with make-up while her partner had…an interesting taste of fashion. Was it just Hinata, or was she wearing…a shower curtain top with vinyl and latex pants?

"Hmmm…" the dolled up one tapped her cheek. "Too plain, this certainly won't do."

"Yes, I agree," Ms. "Dominatrix/Shower woman" stated. "We'll fix her up."

Hinata felt herself go pale as the two females shared a grin with delight (though it looked like malicious glee to Hinata).

"Five…four…three…two…one!" The trio cried out. Sakura turned the lights off in the room before she vaulted over the sofa. As she did this, Ino saved the bowl of popcorn by holding it out to the side while Tenten laughed lightly.

"Watch it! You nearly spilled the stuff!" Ino huffed. Placing the bowl in her lap, Ino resumed snack time.

Sakura rolled her eyes before she got the remote control, flipping through channels until a theme song came on. One on One was on the air.

"Oooh, it's killing me!" Tenten leaned forward, sitting Indian-style as she peered closely at the screen. "Ugh, do they just want to play the entire song or what? I want to see Hina-chan!"

"Wow, you're way too excited…perhaps more than when you meet up with Neiji, eh?" Ino commented, a sly look slipping onto her face.

Tenten blushed immediately before she shrugged.

"Ha, right… Like I'd like to get cozy with--THERE SHE IS!" Tenten yelled, a finger out. All the girls stilled in the room as they watched.

"Wow, she looks great! Great wardrobe specialists," Sakura mumbled.

"Hush now, I want to see how it goes…"

On the screen, Hinata was shown walking down a beach, a white summer dress on. It was obvious that the girl was scared; she was biting down on her lower lip, and she was walking with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Geez, she's walking like an old woman," Ino said.

"Y-yeah…" Sakura sweated a bit. _Come on, Hinata! You're on TV! _

The camera then dollied back, letting the whole beach scene unfold on TV. The sky was bright and clear, the waters active; sea gulls were around, and there was a slight breeze that played with Hinata's hair and skirt. Kakashi then appeared, saluting to the camera.

"Greetings, everyone! Yours truly, reporting live at Aoi Beach! It is here that, hopefully, Hinata Hyuuga--"

A photo of Hinata appeared at the top, left corner of the screen.

"--will find a man for herself. You see, for one whole a month, Hinata gets to spend time with one eligible man _here_." The camera then swung its focus to the side, a bungalow appearing.

"Uh…wow, this would certainly be a new experience for Hinata," Tenten stated. "Do you think she can handle it?"

"If it was me, I'd be having a blast," Ino answered. "Ne, Sakura, what say you?"

Again, Sakura sweated slightly as her eyebrow twitched.

"Sakura?"

"I don't know, but I do hope that Hinata won't, you know…go crazy or something."

Silence entered the room until both Ino and Tenten gave a soft, "Yeah."

Kakashi's voice came back, and the girls gave their attention to the screen once more.

"That's right, one whole month with one young man: Uzumaki Naruto."

TBC…


	3. 02

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A/N: If there are any grammatical errors, then I give my apologies. Can't be helped if HnK doesn't have a beta reader.

Chapter 2

"That's right, one whole month with one young man: Uzumaki Naruto," Kakashi said, grinning into the camera. A picture of a young man appeared onto the screen, his photograph posted at the top, right corner. Sapphire eyes shown brightly within the photo as the young man showed a v-sign, a jovial expression on his face. His wild, blonde hair went well with his tan, the two colors making his eyes stand out… Of course, the whisker marks on his cheeks were no exception.

They made him exotic in his own right.

Yet, for Sakura, it spelled out pure terror for her, and she nearly fell off the couch after the announcement.

"NARUTO? _THE _NARUTO?!" Sakura yelled as she brought out a hand to brace herself at the coffee table before her.

"Geez, Sakura!" Ino wailed, a pinky stuck in an ear. "That's some pair of lungs you have…"

Sakura didn't take the bait; instead of throwing back her own retort, she righted herself once more. Biting onto her lower lip, Sakura kept silent, eyes intent on the television. Ino gave an indignant snort, slightly perturbed by Sakura's reaction. If Sakura went along with their verbal matches, all is well… But if Sakura gives no reaction, then something was wrong. Tenten, who was watching the interaction the whole time, prodded Sakura gently on the shoulder, her curiosity peaked.

"Sakura, do you know this…Naruto?" Tenten watched as Sakura leaned back against the couch, a hand massaging her temple.

"Hell yeah…" Sakura half-growled. Ice-blue eyes looked off to the side even though the body was facing forward. Ino, who was trying to feign disinterest, perked up some, her hand placing a couple of kernels into her mouth.

"Naruto…is a complete idiot," Sakura stated. Though her voice was gruff, there was a small spark of affection in her green eyes as a wry smile appeared on her face. "He has an obsession for Ramen; he's loud, fool-hardy, stubborn, and…" Sakura trailed off then, making Ino speak.

"What? Is he egotistical? Clumsy…?"

"…A great friend," Sakura finished. Tenten kept her peace while Ino threw up her hands, rolling her eyes.

"Right…and you just reacted to him like he was the plague. In any case, is he bad news for Hinata?" Ino asked.

"That's right; what's he like?" Tenten finally voiced out.

The end of Sakura's mouth quirked up, a smirk spreading out on her features as she shrugged.

"You'll see…"

---

Naruto…was _not _happy. First off all, he was left at God-knows-where, tied up to a chair in some room. Judging from the noises coming from the open window, Naruto figured that he was situated somewhere near the ocean. The fact was not hard to miss with the cries of the sea gulls and the breaking waves heard in the distance.

"Stupid, stupid Sasuke," Naruto grumbled as he tried to work the ropes around his wrists. "No, the whole lot of them," Naruto added as his eyes narrowed. He still didn't get what his friends were up to the night before…

__

Naruto was enjoying his ramen at his favorite shop when his cell phone rang. Slurping up the last bit of noodles in his bowl, Naruto placed his money on the counter as his other hand reached into the pocket of his pants. Flicking bits of fish cakes off of his mouth, Naruto answered his call.

"Yeah?"

"Quick man, you gotta be here!" Kiba yelled at the other end, panic in his voice. Naruto straightened up in his seat, the phone caught in his vice-like grip.

"What? What's going on…?"

"No time, but it's--!" A crash was heard in the background before Naruto heard something hard fall onto the ground.

"Kiba? Kiba! Hey, what's going on at your place?!"

There was no answer from the boy; instead, Naruto heard other noises. Something shattered on the other end, and another voice was heard yelling--Lee. 

Then Sasuke came on.

"Shit! Naruto, just get here!--" Click. Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the line go dead. Without another thought, he spun out of his stool and ran out of the ramen shop, his coat flung onto his form with a quick flap. Entering his SUV, Naruto slammed his foot on the pedal and drove off to Kiba's place. After weaving through traffic and avoiding any pedestrians, Naruto managed to arrive in one place.

The apartment complex that Kiba resided in loomed before him, dark clouds swirling about in the sky. The moon hung low, then, and Naruto shivered in the cool night.

Something…was not quite right. Just what was it that had Kiba, Lee, and even Sasuke rattled like so, especially to call him over? All of them were capable of taking care of their selves; self-defense classes weren't just for show. Surely years of studying martial arts would make the group well-prepared for most dangers.

Though alarms were going off in Naruto, the young man shrugged it off as he ran in. Passing through the lobby, Naruto made a bee-line for the elevators and, after fumbling with the buttons, he managed to set the elevator to go to the fourth floor. During its slow journey, Naruto tapped his foot as he crossed his arms over his chest. A scowl was on his face now, and Naruto nearly slammed his fist into the paneled walls out of sheer frustration.

Damn it, they might as well be dead at this rate!, Naruto thought as every worse-case scenario played through his head.

Once the elevator arrived to its destination, Naruto dashed off to the right wing, doors blurring around him as he did so. Up ahead, room 245--Kiba's-- appeared, and Naruto forced himself to slow down. With all that running, Naruto felt his adrenaline kick in as he felt himself instinctively crouch low, his steps slow and measured. Even though he had the urge to just rush over and kick the door down, Naruto knew it was better to be more cautious. Sparring matches taught him that, especially when his sparring partner was Sasuke. Reaching the door, Naruto noticed the thing to be partially opened…

Not good.

With his face setting into a determined expression, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he took up a stance. Reaching out, Naruto gently pushed against the door, the thing swinging with a large moan. Yet, during its movement, someone grabbed the handle on the other side, making Naruto bring his fist back. Before Naruto could punch the living daylights out of the person on the other side, Sasuke's voice reached his ears.

"Gotcha."

"The hell?!" Naruto cried out when a bright light flashed into his face, and before he could squint pass it, a fist made contact with his abdomen.

"Oof!" As Naruto doubled over, Sasuke stood before him, a smirk on his face.

"Be good, Naruto. You're going to be on TV…"

Before Naruto could make a smart remark, a hand chopped into the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. As Naruto descended into darkness, he heard Kiba's chuckles become faint while Lee's parting words echoed afterwards.

"Sorry Naruto…"

Some friends, Naruto snarled mentally. Just what where they thinking pulling a stunt like this? Whatever it was, it was not funny, and once Naruto managed to get out of this predicament, there will be hell to pay.

"If only I could get…this…off…" Naruto muttered under his breath. Craning his neck, Naruto tried to look over his shoulder to his hands tied onto the back of the chair. Moving his line of sight forward, Naruto found out that his legs were tied up as well. With his eyebrows furrowed, Naruto concentrated on his breathing, taking deep, long breaths. After he managed to calm himself down, Naruto then focused on the bindings on his wrists and ankles. With his stomach tightening from the effort, Naruto tried to hop in his seat.

He didn't budge one bit. Instead of escaping, Naruto managed to make the ropes bite into his skin.

"Argh… Come on Naruto, you-can-do-this--HA!" With his second attempt, the legs of the chair managed to get off the floor for a moment before gravity reacted. "Yes, I can do this!" Naruto breathed out, small beads of sweat forming at his brow.

"Third time's a charm…" With that said, Naruto forced himself to hop once more, and that's when the door to the room clicked open. Startled, Naruto lost his balance, and instead of landing on an upright position, Naruto titled to the side until he crashed onto the floor. The side of Naruto's face stung from the impact, and with a growl, Naruto glared at the intruder, a tear forming at the corner of his eye.

Perhaps it was that jerk Sasuke that entered the room; he'd smirk and then go onto telling Naruto how stupid or careless he was. However, it was not the case this time, and Naruto's angry face melted to that of disbelief.

Instead of Sasuke, there was a girl at the door. No, correction--a young _woman_ at the door… The air became thick right then and there, and it was at that moment that lavender-pearl eyes first met with sapphire ones.

****

TBC…


	4. 03

A/N: Ugh, I suck at romance…lol. Hopefully you guys approve of this--I wouldn't be surprised if it was deemed as dirt. If you find any errors, I apologize…I'm just too lazy to check over this over and over again.

Chapter 3

Hinata felt numb as she stared back at the fallen boy, thoughts flying through her mind in a flash of colors. Ever since the beginning of this whole fiasco, she became accustomed to confusion, or so she thought. Seeing the young man before her, however, with his arms and legs tied up, Hinata felt her mind going blank once more. Biting down on her lower lip, she clasped her hands before her, her brows furrowed. Time seemed to stretch then, and seconds began to feel like eternity as the two merely drowned in each other's gaze.

Naruto was losing himself--he can tell by the way he nearly forgot his struggles. Upon the entrance of this newcomer, the scent of lavender danced around in the room, intoxicating him. Eyes showing an interesting mix of violet and pearl swam in his line of vision, a sense of open innocence and vulnerability coming to mind. To say she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen would have been too clichéd, also somewhat of a lie. Ever since time immemorial, the world's main idea of beauty was one who was tall, leggy, and has, preferably long, blonde hair. The young woman who was standing before him now was short, pale to the point of nearly having translucent skin, and dark. Her short-cropped hair--with the exception of those strands kept long--gave the image of a child, actually, not something that promotes sophistication. With a couple of other observations, Naruto figured her to be mousy as well; she was fidgeting in various ways, from poking her fingers together to shifting her weight to the other leg.

What Naruto preferred was a confident woman who was not afraid to speak out her mind, someone who was outgoing. Someone with a spark. Remembering a certain pink-haired girl in his high school years, Naruto's thoughts screeched to a halt.

What is he _doing_, thinking about girls? He needed to escape! Clearing his throat, Naruto placed a pleasant smile on his face.

"Finally! A friendly face!"

Hinata nearly gave a soft squeak from the guy's voice breaking the silence. Feeling caught in a heinous act, her face reddened as she gripped her hands tightly.

"Um…"

"Please help me, miss," Naruto stated, his face dropping its care-free mask. An urgent look crossed his face then, his mouth forming a thin line while his eyes darkened for a moment.

"I don't know where I am, or how I got here… Hell, I don't know WHY I'm even here," Naruto added under his breath as he lowered his eyes for a moment. Hearing no other response from the female, he glanced back to her, his brows quirked.

"Miss?" _Geez, is she thick-headed or something? _Naruto wondered to himself as he flexed his hands.

After clearing her head and coming to a conclusion, Hinata gave her soft reply as she advanced towards him.

"I'm sorry, you just caught me by surprise," she stated as she walked around him. Kneeling at his back, she brought out her hands towards the knots at his wrists.

"Excuse me?" Naruto tried to look over his shoulder as he raised his eyebrows. This girl is way too soft-spoken. Hinata merely shook her head briefly, lowering her head as to let her hair cover her face.

"All right…" Hinata then said as she finished with his wrists. The bindings at his wrist fell to the ground with in inaudible thump, and Naruto gave a mental cheer. The slight sounds of moving cloth brought Naruto's attention once more as Hinata appeared before him, sitting near the knots at his ankles with her legs tucked beneath her. With her being closer, Naruto gave himself a chance to look more into his "savior."

At that moment, sunlight filtered through the windows behind Naruto, a slash of light falling across Hinata's features. Literally put in a "new light," Naruto felt his sapphire orbs widen in mild-surprise as Hinata transformed before him. What he thought was an awkward, shy girl was a woman in the next; to call her dark was a mistake in Naruto's mind. With closer inspection, he noticed that there was a slight glow beneath Hinata's skin, and the blush in her cheeks actually made her…attractive. Her short hairstyle was also a factor; the short cut brought more attention to her slim, long neck. Though she was short, Hinata was a full-grown woman, he noticed. How could he not? She had a petite form, slender and graceful as a willow, with a slim waist and…a decent bust line. Her bust may not have been what Naruto liked, but then again, its humble size suited her form. Briefly, Naruto imagined himself grabbing her by the waist and lifting her over his head.

It seemed possible with her build.

Then Naruto frowned to himself. _Then again, she could be such a fragile thing…_ Staring some more, Naruto looked off to the side and refrained himself from spitting. _Maybe those spoiled-princess brats…_ After following that thought, Naruto stuck out his lower lip and gave a soft humph as he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes back on her with defiance.

_If she is, then I wouldn't waste my time with her help…_

Yet, finding himself gazing back to her, such thoughts melted away with the light. The way her eyes were slightly narrowed in determination made Naruto feel a stab of guilt. In a way of redeeming himself, Naruto spoke once more, his voice low and sincere.

"Hey, thanks…for helping me."

Hinata had her eyes trail up to his face, allowing herself to briefly look into his eyes before she tore her gaze away, her cheeks reddening some more.

"It's…It's no problem," she replied, ducking her head even lower. A hand appeared before her line of vision, fingers curled a bit as they went below her chin. With a slight hand movement, Naruto tilted her face upwards, a blank expression on his face.

"Eh?" Hinata breathed out, eyes wide as she stopped her ministrations.

"I really mean it," Naruto said. "Thank you for helping me." Hinata stared, feeling her mouth going slack until she corrected herself. Another splash of red appeared on her cheeks as she gave a shy smile. Naruto's serious façade slipped off as he too busted into a grin.

"Ah, I finally got to see a smile from you!, er…" Hinata blushed even more as she returned to the task at hand when a tanned, outstretched hand came to her. Snapping her eyes to his face, Hinata tilted her head to the side, a question appearing in her eyes.

"I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto said as he kept his hand out. His other hand went to the back of his head as he sheepishly grinned. "I believe this is the part when, if you don't mind, you take a hold of my hand and we shake. Afterwards, you'd tell me your name as well," he prompted. Hinata jumped a bit, timidly slipping her smaller hand into his. The sensation of soft, velvet skin upon rough, calloused ones were apparent, and both Naruto and Hinata silently wondered over their differences until Hinata spoke up.

"Hinata…Hinata Hyuuga." Naruto gave a brief squeeze on her hand, making Hinata shyly look away.

"Nice to meet ya," Naruto quipped. "Now, after this slight bit of interaction, will it be okay if I state us as friends?" Naruto felt himself holding his breath as he mentally slapped himself. Since when did THE Naruto gave off cheesy lines like _that_? And what the hell was he thinking about friendships when he was just ambushed by his own comrades a while back? And from seeing Hinata's empty stare, Naruto felt like snatching his hand away and escaping through the window nearby.

She probably thought he was a psychopath. If their roles were switched, Naruto would've thought the other as a nutcase, offering friendship right off the bat.

So it was a surprise when he felt Hinata's grip tighten slightly on his hand, and to see her beaming at him nearly blew his mind away.

"I would like that, Naruto…"

With hackles being lowered, Naruto relaxed. A lone breeze wafted through the area then, playing with their hair. Indigo tendrils curled at Hinata's cheek, and she brought her fingers to sweep them away. Naruto, mesmerized with her actions, watched silently, his smile becoming more defined. Feeling mighty pleased, Naruto gave off the v-sign as he laughed lightly.

"I believe we're going to get along very well."

"I agree," another male voice said, making the two separate from each other in surprise. Forgetting that his ankles were still tied, Naruto ended up sliding into the overturned chair, causing a loud crash to reverberate in the room.

"Wak!"

Kakashi was grinning at the both of them from the door frame, a hand in a pocket while the other was held up in a mock-salute.

"Mr. Hatake," Hinata muttered, a hand over her chest as she tried to ease her pounding heart. Really, the man had a way getting around without being noticed…

Naruto, rubbing his lower back, had a different response.

"ARGH, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

TBC…


	5. 04

Chapter 4

The den was spacious, boasting a contemporary style with its high cathedral ceiling and large windows. Walls painted in an off-white color gleamed from the sunlight, their brightness reflecting off of the polished, wooden floors. A white coffee table with a vase of white flowers was set in the middle of the room, standing on an ivory and gold carpet with woven images of palm trees and coconuts. Surrounding the piece of furniture were a couple of chairs, a couch, and a loveseat.

With its simple style and cozy furnishings, surely this place would be a welcomed haven, a great escape. To Naruto, it was hell.

The blonde-haired youth sat on a chair, slouching, as he glared at the silver-haired Kakashi while Hinata took a place on the loveseat, playing with the ends of her skirt. The older male simply hummed a tune under his breath as he flipped to another page of **_Icha Icha Paradise_**. As the silence dragged on, Naruto's knee began to bounce as shook his right leg, a sour look on his face until he finally leaned over, smacking a fist into an open palm.

"Well!"

Kakashi paused in his reading, a light blush on his cheeks. Confused, Naruto waited with furrowed brows until Kakashi let out a low chuckle, turning to the next page. With his eye twitching, Naruto tried again.

"…We-ell?"

Again, no response. Another page was read.

Hinata bit down on her lower lip as she watched the scene before her, a drop of sweat traveling down the side of her face.

**

* * *

**

After Naruto was untied from the ropes, he turned his sapphire eyes to Kakashi as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So who are you? Don't tell me Sasuke bastard paid you to do this… That jerk, I should have just ignored the call"

As Naruto ranted, Hinata got up, smoothing her skirt down as she held up an arm. With a finger on her lip, she timidly looked at Kakashi with half-lidded eyes, a silent plea reflected off of her eyes. With a bored face, Kakashi lightly coughed into a hand before he rose an arm. As his hand descended, a book manifested and bashed onto Naruto's head, making the other male shout.

"ITE! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!"

"Shut up…dunce," Kakashi murmured as he checked over **Icha Icha Paradise**. He hates to see a creased cover, or worse…a ripped page. Finding none, Kakashi turned on a heel, a hand in his pocket while the other held the novel up.

"Follow me, I'll explain the situation…" The silver-haired man gave a meaningful look towards the blonde. Naruto snorted, a hand swiping his nose.

"Stupid scarecrow…"

"Are…Are you all right, Naruto?" Hinata asked politely, appearing by his side.

"Yeah, yeah… Ugh, this is just stupid…" Naruto trailed off as he pursued Kakashi, hands stuffed in his pockets. Before she fell into step, Hinata clasped her hands together, a look of fear flashing across her face. Gazing at a spot on the floor, Hinata squeezed her hands together as her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why…?" she asked to herself.

* * *

"Heard of **One-on-One**?" Kakashi asked out of the blue, cutting off another one of Naruto's outbursts. "It's one of the most popular shows known"

"Wha-?" Naruto quirked a brow as he stuck out his lower lip. "**One-on-One…** Isn't that a basketball show?"

The occupants of the room froze as the question hung in the air.

With a single drop of sweat clinging to the side of his face, Kakashi coughed, disbelief materializing on his face. Snapping the book shut, he stuffed it into the back-pocket of his pants before he sat up on the couch. Pausing for dramatic effect, Kakashi went to the point.

"You are on a famous, reality dating show where two peopleelected by friends, family, or a simple random sampleare to spend time together. For this case, it is you and Hinata that will be spending quality time together at Aoi Beach, right here in this bungalow."

"Nani? You mean Sasuke and the group signed me up for this crap!" Naruto bared his teeth as he slammed a hand on the table. "I'm not sticking around for this"

"Of course, since you're part of the production, you don't need to pay for the place, or the food and clothes."

"Okay, I'm listening." Naruto shut up then. Food is ramen, and if he can get ramen for free, then Naruto is happy. Hinata, for her part, was staring at clasped hands on her lap, listening to every word but giving no thoughts on her behalf. She didn't need to.

Her face had an intense look of both worry and fear…

"Miss Hyuuga, are you all right?" Kakashi asked, concern ringing in his words. Of course he'd be concernedthis is his job, and if the "players" of this production will not cooperate, the company may need to interfere…

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Hinata snapped her head up as she gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oh, oh… I'm fine…" she lied. "Where were we?"

Kakashi paused, a hand rubbing his chin. Something was not quite right… With a slight shrug, Kakashi continued as he filed her response into his memory. He'll think over it later.

"Ah yes. Well, since this _is_ a dating show, our audience is expecting…many things from the both of you."

"Many…"

"…Things?" Naruto and Hinata chorused together.

"Of course, these…things will not be set up by us. That's up to you." Kakashi regarded Naruto's questioning look. "Ah, you'll see. However, if these _certain things _will not appear on the show," _And if our ratings went down_, Kakashi thought to himself, "Then we may…help out. I will, what with me being host and all."

"…I still don't get it." Naruto stated, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, what the hell. Sure, whatever!" Standing up from his seat, Naruto shoved a fist out before him as he stuck a thumb up. "Since Uzumaki Naruto's going to be on television…hehhehheh…"

Naruto's good-guy pose (copied from Lee, of course) was ruined when a gurgling sound emanated from his stomach. Blushing lightly, Naruto gripped his belly before he glanced at Kakashi.

"Ugh, I'm hungrygot ramen?"

Kakashi looked off to the side as he mumbled under his breath, an index finger pointing off towards the kitchenette.

"Idiot…"

Elsewhere, within Hyuuga Corps., the president of the company stood behind his desk as he glared out of the double-glass windows. President Hyuuga Hiashi frowned at the darkened sky as he clasped his hands behind him. Upon his desk sat a remote control of the television nearby, along with a video cassette. Upon closer inspection, the label of the cassette read as follows: Hyuuga HinataOne-on-One.

"Hinata…is this your way of avoiding the inevitable?" Turning back towards the tape, Hiashi picked it up as his eyes narrowed. "You _will_ do as I say, and you _will _continue the Hyuuga legacy. Just as I promised, Uchiha."

Facing the shadows at the other side of the office, Hiashi waited until a form manifested before him. A tall, well-built man sporting a black Armani suit stared back at him with expressionless red eyes, his low ponytail softly swinging from side-to-side as he walked towards the older man.

"Hai," Uchiha Itachi answered as he stood before the president's desk. "I believe this union will be very beneficial, Mr. Hyuuga."

"It should. Once Hinata agrees to marry your younger brother, things will be setbusiness will increase once both our companies merge into one."

Smirking lightly, Itachi only nodded.

"Yes, as it should be…right? Sasuke?"

A/N: Yeah, you're right luna, I need to carve my characters out more (sorry if I seem like I'm calling you out, heeI'm sure there are others who are wondering as well). Don't worry, though, "all shall be revealed" in due time… As for this turn of events, I'm not sure if I like it, so this chapter is subject to change. However, if most of my readers are okay with it, I'll leave it be.


	6. NOTICE!

** ACK! **

Eh, sorry...not sure if I can keep up with you guys, lol. Not happy with the story--I have no writing skills--so I may delete this. 

...Or just "tweak" it. ; Bleh... my apologies... If you want to help me ( as a beta reader, editor, etc.), feel free to tell me so. Hell, I'll even accept personal flames or opinions. Send an e-mail. Make sure you put, "**FF Aid**" in subject box else I'll delete the message. 

Other than that, thanks for putting up for me (if you guys still care, harhar). Cheers. 

** HnK**


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